The Marksman movie review

MOVIE TITLE: The Marksman

Available in select theaters on January 15, 2021

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour, 47 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B-

IN A NUTSHELL:

Time for another boiler-plate Liam Neeson movie! This time, he kicks Drug Cartel butt after meeting some illegal aliens who need his protection from thugs on the Mexican border. The action flick is directed by Robert Lorenz, who also wrote the movie with Chris Charles and Danny Kravitz. It’s a straightforward Liam Neeson thriller, so if you enjoy him as I do, you’ll get a kick out of this one.

This movie is not to be confused with the Wesley Snipes movie called The Marksman.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Spanish is spoken a LOT so you have to read a lot of subtitles. Sometimes it’s spoken without subtitles.
You see a bloodied man hanging from his arms.
You see dead, bloody animals.
Talk of the death of a loved one
High body count and murders of innocent people
Violence with guns and hand-to-hand combat
Profanity in English and Spanish

THEMES:

Family
Compassion
Choices and consequences
Protecting children
Illegal immigration
The film illustrates people who are willing to disregard the law and their values for money. Can you be bought?
Another question asked is, “Is it worth it to get involved?”

THINGS I LIKED:

I love that Liam Neeson’s character is tough, yet shows compassion when appropriate. That pretty much describes every character Liam Neeson has ever played. How can you not love him with his certain set of skills? This is the type of character he does really well: old and hard on his luck. Yes, Liam Neeson is getting too old to do a lot of action scenes, but I still love his movies. In fact, his age is mentioned several times in the movie.
Other cast members who did a good job are Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba, and young Jacob Perez.
Throw in an adorable, loyal dog as a sidekick to the crusty, old protagonist and you’ve got an endearing pair that is always a winning formula.
Lovely musical score by Sean Callery. He knows how to build tension and then back off when needed. He did the music for a popular TV show I loved watching called 24 Season 1, as well as Star Trek Generations in 1994 and Bones: Season 1 in 2005.
Beautiful cinematography by Mark Patten.
Tip #1: Don’t use a credit card when you’re trying not to be followed by a scumbag drug cartel.
Tip #2: Switch cars when you’re trying not to be followed by a scumbag drug cartel.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

It feels like every other Liam Neeson movie we’ve ever seen.
Liam Neeson’s motivations flip-flop on a dime in one scene.
That was painful for me to watch them burn so much money! Of course, I understood why the characters did it…I’m just saying…
It’s very predictable but still fun.
It’s more of a road-trip movie than a big action film. There ARE some good action sequences, but it’s pretty mild in comparison to Liam Neeson’s younger days when he could do a lot more physical stuntwork.
The characters are very stereotypical and generic.
The set pieces aren’t very memorable.
The title makes you believe there is going to be more shooting.
A couple of the subplots are completely dropped.
Sadly, the movie is mostly forgettable.
Many of the flaws and wounds that make the characters interesting could have been explored more deeply in order to elevate the movie.

FUNNY LINES:

“Yeah, something like that.” – Jim (Liam Neeson) To be vague, his character says this often.
“I was in the Marine Corps, so I suggest you all turn around and adios.” – Jim (Liam Neeson)

INTERESTING LINES:

“They say you get used to living alone. That’s just crap.” – Jim (Liam Neeson)
“Someday, I’m going to kill those men.” – Miguel (Jacob Perez) There’s absolutely nothing that feels good about killing another man.” – Jim (Liam Neeson)
“We learn what we must do to survive.” – Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba)